DECT phones work from a base station, usually with a single handset. Some DECT phone models allow additional handsets to be added to the base station. You can also have additional cordless handsets in different areas of the house. This is ideal if you have a home office or work from home. DECT phones are also excellent if you have a large garden and want to take your phone outside with you.

The range of the handset will depend on the phone itself. The point of the cordless phone is that you can walk around free from the base station. Most cordless phones have a range of around 300 meters (about 984 feet), but new digital technology is being upgraded daily to expand that range.

You can also talk to another person within the house using DECT phones, rather like a walkie talkie device. Battery life will depend on the amount of money you spend on the phone. More expensive handsets allow you to talk for around eight hours with a single charge up. When not in use, the handsets can retain a charge for around 100 hours. Most DECT phones have a battery alert device that signals when battery power is low.

Cordless phones have come a long way in design since the early days. DECT phones are very stylish and come in a range of designs. Some top of the range will set you back a lot of money for the design alone. High budget DECT phones are made by some of the top technological manufacturers available - well known names that are cutting edge in other fields, such as audio and visual equipment. The designs are sometimes stunning, but so are the price tags.

There are only so many functions that a DECT phone can perform, so top end phones are not that different from budget models. The only difference will likely be in the design quality. Some of these phones now look like flip mobile phones with back-lit keys, text functions and access to email. The most important factor with a DECT phone is audio quality.